


Building an Empire

by Nyx Nox (Nellis123)



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Nebula (Marvel), F/F, F/M, Gamora Deserved Better, Gen, Kid Gamora (Marvel), Nebula (Marvel) Feels, Nebula (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Nebula (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Nebula Deserved Better, Nebula-centric (Marvel), Protective Gamora (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:15:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nellis123/pseuds/Nyx%20Nox
Summary: Her father always said the best way to build an empire was to use the same bricks that were thrown at you. He was never given the chance to explain what to do when the load became too much. An in-depth exploration of Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Kudos: 8





	1. Starting from Scratch

**Author's Note:**

> I figured being quarantined was the best time to start posting a few of my work in progress pieces. Thankfully, the new stories already have at least four chapters completed so I'll roll them out every couple of days. There WILL be references to death, abuse, and neglect throughout this story. If that makes you uncomfortable, don't pass go or collect the $200 at the end of the chapter. I will add content warnings as they become necessary.
> 
> Nebula is easily my favorite character of the MCU and it saddens me that we don't have a lot of information about her past the glimpses we get from the movies and the comics. This is loosely based around the MCU with bits and pieces inspired by the comics. I haven't hit the point of exploring the events of End Game in it so that'll prove to be interesting when the time comes. Cross-posted on FFN.
> 
> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Stay hidden," The words came out in a hushed whisper, the woman glaring at her daughter while she shifted to hold the baby in her arms closer to her chest. Her expression made it clear now was not the time for her eldest to challenge her.

Nebula shrunk back into the shadows. Her pale-blue hand reached out after her mother's retreating figure. They had taken shelter in the basement of the house. Mother, infant, daughter, and twin sons huddled near each other in the dark lighting of the least used part of their home.

She shifted away from them when she heard a floorboard creak above them, positioning herself behind boxes of hand me downs that would become hers once she grew a little larger.

The screams from outside the house were unsettling. Nebula hadn't heard them stop since the spacecraft hurtled out of the sky and took out the silo that held what was left of the hometown's food.

There was no sign of the others near her by the time she got situated behind the boxes, fists up and ready to fight if someone got too close to her. Her mother must have moved to check on her brothers. The baby was strapped close to her chest, sleeping soundly despite the chaos that surrounded them.

Their father was gone and never coming back. His sacrifice was marked by a loud thunk and a pained expression on her mother's face while she ushered the children into the basement. She didn't need to say anything for Nebula to know. The seven-year-old was too attuned to her mother's emotions and easily saw through the forced smile she tried to wear.

Mourning would have to come later. Occasional shushes were the only noises close to her. The ceiling creaked every now and then as the soldiers rifled through the house. No one expected the baby to cry out.

Her scream made Nebula flinch back in fear of the sudden sound, her head bouncing off the wall behind her. The floorboards creaked from above. The footsteps echoed over her mother's hushing, the baby sister's tears, and her brothers' whimpers. There was a firm thud at the doorway then it creaked open, her mother's voice heard hushing the twins and requesting that they stay close to her. The last thing Nebula would remember was her mother saying she loved them before shifting to turn her back on the creatures at the top of the stairs. Her shoulders hunched in an attempt to shield her youngest three children.

Someone gave an okay for the men to move, an affirmative response was given mere seconds before they began to fire on the tiny family. Nebula's mother cried out, form taking the brunt of the attack before collapsing on the boys. It didn't end there though. She couldn't watch, view limited by the water pooling in her eyes. She wouldn't cry, opting to bite her lip hard enough to draw blood instead. Remaining hidden behind the boxes seemed like the best thing to do until the light flickered on.

Nebula held her breath and slowly ducked down. No noise came from her besides the occasional inhale for air. There was a scuffling sound from nearby that caused her to clench her fists and get ready to attack.

"There, there, little one," The man's voice caused her to inch backward. A scowl creased over her lips. Nebula glared while she took in his appearance.

"You can come out now that they are gone." Nebula shifted to peer behind the purple-colored stranger. Lavender colored orbs went wide upon discovering no signs of bloodshed. There were no bodies or clues toward what she had witnessed. She pressed her tongue against her cheek and straightened up, fists still ready to fly if the man-made a wrong move.

"My brothers," Her voice sounded far braver than she expected. Her eyes met the purple man's when she spoke.

"I carried them to safety," He murmured and shoved the boxes aside, extending a hand toward Nebula once they were out of the way. "I can take you to them."

His statement earned a scoff from the young girl. Her scowl grew and her eyes narrowed in a silent challenge that he proved she could trust him.

"The men that hurt them mentioned coming back because the girl was nowhere to be found," There was a beat of silence then Thanos tilted his head and looked Nebula over. "Surely that means you."

Another beat of silence followed. Nebula slowly stepped around the stack of boxes that separated her and the stranger. She hesitated then took hold of his fingers.

"Now what is your name, little one?" The man asked and led Nebula out of the basement. The house was still intact. Photos were askew and there were several bits of furniture that were out of place. Her brothers' book bags were still by the door, waiting for them to go to school the next day. It didn't feel right.

Nebula cast a calculated gaze at the man. He was much taller than she was. That would have terrified her if she hadn't watched her mother get vaporized.

"I will tell you that when you bring me to my brothers," She scowled and released his fingers to cross her arms over her chest.

"You are quite the stubborn one," He chuckled then took several steps ahead of her. She didn't have much of a choice when it came to following him. The door was off its hinges, no longer covering the entrance to the home. "My name is Thanos." He added and stepped away from the exit, allowing Nebula to get ahead of him. "You will find I prove to be quite the ally."

Thanos didn't speak again until they reached his spacecraft. There was no way of shielding the youngster's eyes from the bodies in the street.

"Most of the children are already on board," He murmured when he caught her hesitating. "You are one of the last to join my crew."

Nebula chewed her lower lip then reached for Thanos' hand. She tightly grasped his index finger and blew a strand of black hair out of her face. Her gaze lingered on the hatch that led inside the ship before she took a breath and stepped forward. The young girl's breathing hitched when the hatch began to close behind her and Thanos. She stepped closer to him and glanced up, a look of panic briefly flickering across her features.

"You mustn't worry, little one," He murmured and shifted so he could put his hand on her shoulder, lightly tugging her closer to him. "We are going home now. You are safe."

"My brothers," Nebula's steps faltered, causing her to flinch when Thanos tugged her upward to keep her from tripping over him. The only exit was closed and the spacecraft was in the air. Anxiety was the only thing on her mind. It caused her to beg the next time she spoke. "You said I could see my brothers."

Thanos squared his shoulders and took a step away from her. He studied her for several seconds, then shrugged.

"As you wish," He sighed and led the girl down a dimly lit hallway. They came to a stop outside a grim-looking doorway. Nebula needed to squint to spot the door handle. She bit down on her lip to keep it from trembling then lifted her head up to lock eyes with Thanos.

"I expect you to be on your best behavior once we pass through this door," He rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it as a warning, ignoring the sound of discomfort that passed through the child's lips. "No tears, no trying to fight anyone. Am I understood?"

Nebula merely nodded and stubbornly clenched her jaw. A grimace took over when Thanos tightened the grip on her shoulder.

"I expect a verbal answer, He scowled down at her. The youngster didn't flinch back from the look he gave her. He raised an eyebrow, almost impressed to be on the receiving end of the glare she shot back at him. She would be tough to break but the effect of doing so was bound to be worthwhile. His scowl deepened when she didn't answer, fingers digging into her shoulder.

"Yes sir," Nebula sighed and softened her glare, giving him a dirty look once her shoulder was free from his grasp.

"Ah," Thanos chuckled. "There are the manners your parents bred into you." He patted the top of her head and laughed when she growled and stepped away from him. "Watch it." He warned her. "You won't be allowed to see your brothers if you keep behaving like this."

Nebula's eyebrows furrowed together, her expression faltering when she failed to come up with a witty response. She didn't have much time to get a word in as it was since Thanos opened the door and picked her up to make sure she entered the room instead of trying to flee.

She was face to face with four other beings once set back down, the scowl back in place the moment her feet touched the ground. The first was a woman with blue hair and a skin tone that was similar to hers. She couldn't have been a Luphomoid though. She would have recognized her from the group her family settled with after their home planet was destroyed.

The woman was leaned against a man Nebula only managed to sneak a glance at. He looked like something out of her worst nightmares. A man with a peculiar looking nose was beside him. He nudged a green-skinned girl that looked about her age. The girl appeared to be struggling to keep still. She was the least intimidating of the group.

Nebula stood on her toes to get a better look around the room, accidentally backing into Thanos when she realized her brothers were nowhere to be found. The desperate hope that one or both of them somehow survived was gone now. It's disappearance left her on the verge of tears, holding her breath in an attempt to keep from crying out.

"Your brothers," Thanos gestured toward the two men. "Corvus and Ebony." They nodded and shot a wicked grin in Nebula's direction. A low whimper escaped from her lips. The sound earned a scoff from the woman.

"You didn't say you were returning with cargo, Master," The woman glared at Nebula. One child on the ship was more than enough.

"Those aren't my brothers," Nebula cried out at the same time. Her outburst caused everyone to look at her. The woman seemed ready to strike her for having interrupted.

"Lower your hand, Proxima," Thanos grunted and stepped in front of Nebula. "The child has just realized she is the only survivor of her family." The discovery earned a choked back sob. Proxima's nostrils flared at the child's impudence. Nebula's attention was solely focused on making sure she didn't give Thanos a reason to decide she deserved the same fate of her brothers.

"I expect her to be treated like Gamora — as an equal until they understand my rules and are able to do what is expected of them."

"I never took you as one with a soft spot for Krees," Proxima muttered and lowered her hand. "I assumed Korath would have been the last of my _siblings_." The last word was accompanied by a look of disgust.

"I'm not a Kree," Nebula scowled and stepped aside so she could glare at the woman from behind Thano's leg. The look was half-hearted and pathetic enough to earn a laugh from the men. "I'm a Luphomoid."

"Even worse," Proxima shook her head. "The last thing we needed was two children of subpar backgrounds under everyone's wings. Now we have this impudent one as well. She needs to learn to —" Her sentence remained unfinished, halted by Thanos raising his hand.

"Enough," He growled. Proxima placed her hands behind her back and bowed her head, expression pained to have stooped to a more submissive state.

"My apologies Master," She shot a glare at Nebula then kept her head down.

"Gamora why don't you show your sister to your living quarters?" He asked in a calm tone. The question earned a nod from the green girl. A hint of a smile could be seen along the edge of her lips. "The adults need to discuss how to make her feel welcome."

"Yes, Father," Gamora answered then moved to Nebula's side. "And thank you." She curtsied then took Nebula by the hand, the smile breaking free when she led the blue girl out of the room.

The trek to the living quarters passed in a blur. Despite her best efforts, Nebula could not free her hand from Gamora's grasp. She spent the walk sniffling and on the verge of tears. The occasional sob interrupted the silence between her and Gamora.

She couldn't remember anything that happened after realizing her brothers weren't on the ship. There was too much change at once and very little time to adapt. It made her feel as though she was suffocating. It hurt to take in the sharp inhales of breath each time a sob escaped. She didn't even realize they had reached the living quarters until Gamora came to a sudden stop.

"Excuse me," The girl's voice brought her thoughts back to the present, Nebula flinching back when her hand was released. "I asked you a question." A panicked look was all Nebula gave her. "Now what's your name?"

Nebula didn't answer at first. She took a moment to plant herself, teeth digging into her cheek while she looked around the room. The walls were stone and gray. There were two beds. One had a teddy bear and the other simply had a pillow. There were no cheerful colors to be seen.

"I don't want to talk to you," Nebula spat out then curled up on the bed that didn't have the teddy bear on it. She pressed the pillow over her face in an attempt to regain control of her emotions. "And I'm not your sister." The words were muffled by the pillow.

"He will force a name on you if you don't give one," Gamora sat on the edge of Nebula's bed. "Mine is Gamora. I've been here for a few weeks. This will end badly for both of us if you keep this up so please give me your name."

Nebula gave an exasperated sigh and moved the pillow away from her face, hugging it to her chest instead. She refused to look at Gamora and glared at the wall. "Nebula. Now leave me alone."

Gamora gave a happy purr and began kicking her feet, ready to ask another question. She slowly shut her mouth when Nebula curled into herself and started sobbing. Not knowing what to do made her awkwardly shift to rub Nebula's back.

"Don't touch me," Nebula cried out, looking satisfied when the girl moved to the other bed. "I don't—" She didn't have anything else to say since a wave of emotions interrupted her. Nebula sobbed into the pillow, sharp intakes of breath still present once she fell asleep from lack of energy.

She didn't know how much time passed after that but the rest she got didn't feel like it was enough. Nightmares plagued her sleep. Her lips were dry and cracked from biting them to muffle her sobs. She hoped keeping quiet and appearing like she was asleep would allow Gamora to believe she needed the fitful period of rest.

Things were blurry the next time she woke up. Nebula forced her eyes shut and whimpered, slowly rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She wished her hardest that the whole thing was a horrible dream. Opening her eyes almost made her scream. She was face to face with the green girl.

Nebula forced a scowl and glared at Gamora. The girl raised an eyebrow back at her and looked unimpressed.

"Thank goodness you are awake," Gamora sighed. "Father was beginning to worry. You were in and out of sleep for forty-nine hours."

"He is not my father," Nebula spoke through gritted teeth and sat up. She wrinkled her nose when she spotted neatly folded clothes at the edge of the bed.

"He isn't mine either," Gamora shrugged and looked down at her feet. "It is best to play along though. Otherwise, he gets mad." Her face paled. "You don't want to make him mad. Last time I did, he locked me in a dark room for two days and yelled a lot." Her voice grew quiet and she shook her head. "He expects you dressed and ready to see him. I- I'm supposed to tell you his expectations."

"Can you turn around?" Nebula narrowed her eyes at Gamora. She would have argued but the brief interaction she had with Thanos (not to mention the death of her family) left her thinking it was best to try to stay on his good side.

Gamora did as she was asked and rocked on the balls of her feet while she waited for Nebula to change.

"You need to comb your hair and brush your teeth. I will show you the bathroom when you are ready. We aren't supposed to speak to him or any of the others unless they speak to us first." She took a breath before continuing. "And you can't fidget or look at them. Proxima and Corvus will be taking care of us until they think we are ready for what father has in store. They don't like children."

Nebula caught bits and pieces of what was said since Gamora spoke too fast. Her eyebrows furrowed together when she slipped the dress on over her head. She didn't like dresses but it was better than the rags she had from home.

"You have to keep your hands behind your back when you first enter the room and I—" Gamora trailed off and shook her head. "I'm still learning. They prefer being strict over being understanding." Nebula bit her lip and stepped into the shoes that had been provided.

"I don't like the sound of this," She mumbled and glanced at Gamora, shifting to rip the shirt she had worn before. The thin piece of fabric felt fragile in her hands. She hesitated then tied the small strand around her wrist, intending to keep it as a reminder of what she lost.

"We don't get a choice in any of it," Gamora sighed then shifted to hug Nebula, seemingly pleased when the girl didn't shove her away. "Now let's get you ready to meet father."

The arrival outside the throne room was marked by Gamora squeezing Nebula's hand. She used her free hand to lightly knock on the door.

"Good luck," The green girl murmured then departed, leaving Nebula waiting for the door to open. She stood with her head down and had her hands behind her back, crossed at the wrists.

The door opened and Thanos stood before her. She was the height of his knee. The titan didn't say anything at first. He made a clicking noise with his tongue and looked her over. Nebula held her breath while she waited for him to say something.

"The dress doesn't suit you, girl," He announced. Nebula slowly raised her head up. She took a step back upon discovering how close he was to her. "I will have to keep that in mind for when it comes to picking out armor for you."

"Armor?" Nebula's eyebrows furrowed together. "Why would I n—" Her question was interrupted by Thanos grabbing her by the collar of her dress. He lifted her off the ground and held her up for several seconds, scowling before he spoke.

"Why would I answer you when you couldn't give me a name when politely asked?" He shook her then roughly brought her to the ground, smirking when the force of his releasing her made her knees buckle. Nebula collapsed to the ground.

She gasped and put her hands down to brace herself. A panicked expression took over her features as she crawled away from him. It took a few deep breaths to get rid of the winded feeling in her chest. She shakily got to her feet, face paling when she looked up at Thanos.

"I'm Nebula, sir," She gasped, timidly looking at Thanos once more. Her gaze fell and Nebula stood up straight. She put her arms behind her back and crossed her wrists, hoping the stance Gamora taught her was strong enough to keep him from picking her up again.

"A quick learner," Thanos walked a circle around Nebula. She could feel his gaze traveling over her form. It was intimidating. She kept her focus on her feet and shifted uncomfortably.

"That will come in handy," He rounded Nebula once more then stopped in front of her. "Now kneel."

"No," Nebula murmured and stood up straighter. Gamora had said doing what he asked was best. As much as she wanted to believe that, she didn't need him thinking she was easy to control.

"Wrong answer," Thanos snapped and took hold of her shoulder. Nebula was seeing stars. The little pressure he applied left her feeling dizzy. His hand could easily break her shoulder. Knowing that caused Nebula to squeeze her eyes shut, teeth digging into her little lip to keep from crying out. She shifted in an attempt to free herself and winced.

"You are my daughter now," His free hand shifted to grasp hold of Nebula's chin, forcing the child to look up at him. Nebula's eyes opened in an attempt to get rid of the stinging feeling around them. She wouldn't cry. Looking at Thanos made her whimper.

"That means you will comply," The Titan added more pressure to her shoulder. Nebula dropped to the ground, crying out when he didn't let go of her.

"I'm not your daughter," Nebula bit her cheek and forced herself to look Thanos in the eyes. Tears were streaming down her face. The warmth of the liquid only made her mad since the attempt at keeping them from falling had backfired. "And I never will be."

Thanos let go of her shoulder and smirked when she dropped to the ground. Nebula wrapped her left arm around her right, cradling the one that had been nearly crushed by her alleged father.

"You will soon learn that I am someone you do not want to defy," Thanos' gaze never left hers. "Consider yourself lucky for my deciding to be kind. You may stand now."

Nebula slowly got to her feet and stared down at her sneakers. Thanos' gaze shifted to look over her posture.

"Fix that arm," He barked out. Nebula winced and forced her right arm behind her back. "Good girl." Thanos purred then cocked his head to the side. "You must be hungry." He moved away from her and turned his back on her.

She briefly considered running. The thought of food kept her rooted to the spot. She hadn't eaten since the night before her family perished.

"Yes," Nebula nodded and took a deep breath.

"Yes?" Thanos quirked a brow from across the throne room. He returned to in front of her and was holding a steaming cup in his hand. Nebula couldn't tell what was inside it but the beverage smelled good enough to make her stomach rumble.

"Yes, _sir_ ," The words were accompanied by a nod. Thanos didn't move.

"You will call me Master or Father," He bit out through gritted teeth. Nebula's stomach dropped. She didn't want to refer to him as either option. Eating was her main focus but her sense of pride was taking over.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Nebula announced and narrowed her eyes at him. Her stomach gurgled in protest. She ignored it and crossed her arms over her chest. Courage was something new for her. It caused her to stick her nose up in disgust and glare at Thanos.

"You are in for a rough week then, little chit," The Titan sighed and dumped the cup's contents on the ground, dropping the glass with enough force to make it shatter.

"We will return to your room now," Thanos murmured and lifted her up, chuckling when the child protested. He didn't release her until they reached the room she and Gamora shared.

Gamora jumped up from her bed when Thanos entered. She promptly abandoned her book and stood at the edge of the bed, arms behind her back with her hands crossed at the wrists.

"I'm sorry my bed isn't made, father," She focused on her feet. "I was expecting Nebula to…"

"Hush, little one," Thanos sighed. He lowered Nebula to the ground and made sure she could only see him.

"Your sister decided to do things the hard way," Thanos sighed, expression softening when he looked at Gamora. "Smuggling food for her is forbidden. I have eyes in the kitchen and the mess hall. Do not test me." He let the warning sink in then narrowed his eyes at her. "Am I understood?"

"Yes, Father," Gamora looked him in the eye. She curtsied when he nodded in reply and let her gaze drop to the ground.

"You will not leave this room," Thanos narrowed his eyes at Nebula. "The bathroom door will remain locked until I decide you may relieve yourself and you will not get food until you say one of the words that caused this mess. Be grateful I have opted for your having Gamora as company. Next time you defy me will earn a day spent in isolation."

He didn't give her a chance to answer him, attention shifting to Gamora. "You may stay with her. Know there will be an equal amount of consequences if you begin to act like her instead of her learning to act like you. Now get some sleep. I'll unlock the door in the morning."

Neither girl moved from where they stood until he departed and shut the door behind them, the latch clicking shut. Nebula's form shook. She was ready to scream or cry. Not trusting herself to do either prompted her flinging herself on the bed and squishing her face into the pillow. A cry escaped and she bit the pillow to keep quiet, flinching when a hand rested on her back.

"Sorry," Gamora whispered. "You look like you need some support." Nebula remained still, shifting to make room for Gamora on the bed. The green girl did the unexpected and laid behind her. Her hand slipped around Nebula's waist. Nebula took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. Tears streamed down her face.

"I refused to call him Father," She lifted the pillow from her face so her mutter could be heard.

"You will have to at some point," Gamora sighed and lightly traced circles on Nebula's back. "Sooner rather than later, please. Proxima made it sound like they are planning to punish both of us if either of us fails."

The words did little to help. Nebula rolled over so she was facing Gamora.

"His people killed my mother and baby sister in front of me," Her heart ached just thinking about it. "And did who knows what to my brothers. What makes him think I would —" She hiccoughed and closed her eyes.

"It's better than calling him, Master?" Gamora sighed. There was a moment of silence that got filled by Gamora beginning to hum. The tune caused Nebula to open her eyes and look at the other girl as though she had three heads.

The tune was familiar — far too familiar. Nebula gulped back a sob and kept quiet to allow Gamora to finish the tune.

"Where did you learn that?" She whispered. Gamora's hum came to a halt. Her eyebrows furrowed together.

"My mother," Her voice was weak and her cheerful expression faltered.

"My mum knew it too," Nebula murmured. It was perplexing because they came from different backgrounds. The two eventually fell asleep, feeling more at ease to have found something in common.

Nebula's stubborn streak lasted for four days. Hunger was something she was used to. Her home planet had very little food so the family was grateful for what they had. She often skipped meals to make sure her brothers got a reasonable amount of food. The streak was broken on a morning where she could barely stand on her feet. A mumbled "may I please have something to eat, dad?" was sufficient enough to get food from the Titan.

A month would pass with little incident. Proxima and Corvus made sure the girls were ready to present to Thanos. They had a rigorous training that involved learning self-defense, sword-wielding, and proper etiquette. The two were fit into uniforms and seemed to appreciate the game-like atmosphere that accompanied their sessions. Everything felt okay until the day Corvus announced they were ready to face Thanos.

Proxima took each girl aside to do their hair before the results of her and her husband's work were shown. Gamora was given two braids and Nebula was left with one long braid. The two were quiet, waiting for instructions to be given.

Corvus led them to the throne room of the spacecraft. The two stared at their feet once inside. The room was different from the last time they were there. Thanos' throne was off to the side. There was a square area in the center of the room. Their father stood in the middle, his expression unreadable while he took in the girls' appearances.

Gamora and Nebula wore the battle gear they had been fitted for. Nebula wore a purple suit to contrast the dark blue birthmark that ran down the center of her face. Her bangs remained untouched minus Proxima scoffing at the bright blue streaks that ran through her hair. The only notable thing about her appearance was the way the sleeves of her outfit cut off at her shoulders.

Gamora was dressed similarly. Hues of purple shone through the uniform. Each girl had a belt around their waist that held their weapon of choice. Gamora settled on the blade Thanos gave her the day he took her in. Nebula was privy to a pair of short blades, having found the use of the two on the robot they sparred with to be more effective than using one.

Corvus had been left in charge of taking notes about the girls while mentoring them. He was the one that taught them the proper stances. Nebula thrived with offensive attacks while Gamora was skilled at using defensive ones. He made a point to mention that they would make a good team. They were evenly balanced. Gamora just happened to be the stronger of the two since she was there longer.

"Brilliant," Thanos sighed and looked each girl over once more. "Now to see how you fair in combat." He turned toward Proxima. "You did say they are ready, did you not?"

"Of course, Master," Proxima nodded. "They have given Corvus and me no reason to believe otherwise." Thanos merely nodded at what was said and brought his gaze back to the girls.

"You will fight each other," He announced and gave Gamora a dirty look since she released a shocked gasp. Nebula merely looked confused. "The winner will decide who trains them."

Neither girl moved toward their adoptive father. Their looking at Corvus and Proxima for assistance proved useless since the two went out of their way to avoid meeting their gaze.

"Nebula on this side," He motioned toward his right. "Gamora on the other." A satisfied smirk appeared when the two moved to where he pointed. The girls stared blankly at each other. They showed no signs of reaching for their weapons.

"On my count, you will show me precisely what you were taught. I was informed about your strengths and weaknesses so far and expect a good show," Thanos said. He allowed a few seconds for the girls to get ready. Corvus cleared his throat and the two got into their fighting stances with their weapons drawn.

Thanos looked satisfied until he counted. He lowered his arm to say it was time for them to attack. Neither girl moved. They stared at each other and shook their heads. The adults looked unimpressed.

"I can't," Nebula said at the same time Gamora gasped out, "I won't." Corvus and Proxima looked livid. Their expressions were nothing when compared to Thanos'.

"Then you don't eat," He said through gritted teeth. His nostrils flared. "Drop your weapons."

The two did as they were told. Their weapons clattered to the ground and they fixed their stances. The girls placed their arms behind their backs with their hands crossed at the wrists. They focused on their feet, bodies shaking while they waited for Thanos to continue.

"Proxima bring them to their room. They are to be locked in for the night," He snarled. "I don't care what you do with them on your way up there. Just know killing them means I kill you." Nebula bit down hard on her lip to keep from whimpering.

"Neither of you will eat until you fight the other." Thanos settled back into his throne and glared at them from across the room. "I am done with you for now."

Proxima waited until the girls were out of the throne room before she attacked them. She allowed the two to get a good distance ahead of her then summoned her spear, pleased to receive it without alerting Nebula or Gamora.

It took a moment for her to adjust her grip on it then she cocked her arms back, rapidly sending two bursts of energy at the girls. They hit their targets and the two girls dropped to the ground, writhing and crying out in pain.

Nebula was certain she never felt that much pain before in her life. She could barely hear her own cries over Gamora's. It felt like forever before the energy dissipated. She could barely think straight past knowing she no longer wanted anything to do with Proxima. The woman neared them and the two huddled together with a panicked expression.

"I can do worse," Proxima glared down at them. A look of pleasure creased over her features when Gamora and Nebula whimpered. She pointed her spear at Gamora then shifted it toward the other girl. "However, I value my life enough to leave it at that for the evening. Your lives mean nothing to me after the stunt in front of Thanos. I will do worse the next time you decide to cross me and my husband. Now get up and go into your room."

"Yes ma'am," Nebula winced and got to her feet. She bit down hard on her lip, her joints aching from convulsing.

"Sorry ma'am," Gamora slowly stood. She felt as though she was going to be sick to her stomach.

"Shut up," Proxima barked. She smirked when the girls jumped and moved faster. The woman took pleasure in locking them in the room after making sure there was no light inside.

Neither girl spoke once in the sanctuary of their bedroom. They curled up on their beds in an attempt to block out the day's events. It was clear they would have to fight at some point but sleep and resting for the next day was far more important than discussing their current predicament.


	2. Began With Stones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warnings: Child abuse/neglect, a reference to IVs, non-consensual organ removal

The next day was marked by the girls waking up to the loud bang of the door being kicked open. Nebula immediately regretted opening her eyes. She was face to face with Corvus. The man loomed over her and she narrowed her eyes at him. Her expression hardened when they locked eyes.

A gasp of shock left Gamora’s lips when she opened her eyes. Her fists flew up to defend herself, ready to strike Proxima if the woman moved any closer.

“There, there, girls,” Proxima purred. “Don’t tell me no food left you daft enough to believe training would not carry on.”

“No ma’am,” The girls said in unison, still on edge because of the adults’ proximity. They got out of bed and stood at the edge of it with their heads bowed. Their clothes were not given back to them after how the day before ended so they were still in the uniforms from when they refused to fight.

“Gamora you will be training with Corvus. Nebula with myself,” Proxima looked them over with a sour expression.

“Do not expect us to go easy on you after yesterday’s blunder,” Corvus added with a scowl. “Be grateful our Master values your lives more than we do. That is the only thing causing us to refrain from giving you a taste of us at our worst.”

“We appreciate that sir,” Nebula gave a sarcastic sigh and kept her gaze down, crying out when his claws dug into her chin and forced her to look into his eyes.

“Did I say you could talk?” He spat in her face. Nebula glowered at him.

“No sir,” She stuck her chin up and stood taller, jaw clenching when his fingers dug in hard enough to draw blood.

“I could easily make your death look like an accident, little one,” He dragged his claws down her chin. “Do not test me.”

Nebula broke his gaze to take on a submissive stance, scowl still present when she looked down at the ground. He squeezed her chin once more than shoved her away from him. Nebula gave him the worst glare she could muster then took her place beside Gamora.

“Yet you couldn’t show this attitude yesterday,” Proxima tsked. The girls’ heads lowered, their shoulders slumping slightly.

“Careful dear,” Corvus chuckled. “It appears you may have brought up something they would prefer ignoring. I would hate to see you hurt their feelings this early on in the day.”

“Remind me why I would care,” Proxima hissed then narrowed her eyes at Nebula. “Now follow me. You have training to do.”

Their training proved to be extra grueling on an empty stomach and Proxima was unforgiving when it came to any sort of error. Their time together ended with Nebula sore, bruised, and exhausted. She was supposed to clean herself up and prepare to face Thanos. The very act of walking into the lavatory left her feeling ready to drop.

Her stance changed when she became aware she was not the only one using the facility. A stall door opened from behind her and made her jump, eyes widening in her reflection in the mirror. She was in the middle of combing her fingers through her hair.

“Thank goodness it’s just you,” Gamora’s voice came from behind her. She looked nearly twice as tired as she felt. “Have you reconsidered?” Nebula quirked a brow at Gamora’s question.

“Do you mean fighting you?” Her face paled a little at the thought. “No. I’ve not. Have you?”

“No,” Gamora shook her head. “They make it sound like Thanos wants us alive but I— I can’t tell if that means he has plans for us or plans to kill us himself.”

“I am not going to make it through the week if training stays as tough as today’s was,” Nebula sighed. “Suppose we give it two days?”

“What if Proxima brings out her staff again?” Gamora grimaced. “Or they call on Maw to force us into it or—” She was cut off by Nebula taking hold of her hand.

“Then we do it today,” Nebula sighed. “It sounds like that’s the only way we stand a chance.”

“Right,” Gamora’s expression faltered. She chewed her lower lip. “Will we still be friends after this?”

“Of course,” Nebula sighed. “We’re the only ones that have each other’s backs in this hell hole he expects us to call home.”

Gamora stepped forward and pulled Nebula in for a hug. The two held onto each other until a throat cleared from somewhere behind them. The girls jumped away from each other and immediately placed their hands behind their backs.

“How charming,” Proxima purred. “Should I tell Master the imbeciles have decided they are ready to fight each other?”

“No,” The two said at the same time. Nebula took a step forward and narrowed her eyes at the woman.

“We can tell him ourselves,” She scowled. “On the day we are ready to.”

Proxima’s reaction was shocking enough to send an unsuspecting Nebula soaring to the ground. The sound of fist meeting jaw echoed in the bathroom. Nebula rubbed the side of her face, glare deepening as she debated getting back to her feet.

“Watch your tone,” The woman stood over her. The size difference between them was far more terrifying now that Nebula was truly at a disadvantage. “Now get up and wipe that look off your face. Thanos expects you and Gamora to be on your best behavior. May I suggest softening him up by apologizing for having been the most disappointing part of his day yesterday?”

“No thank you,” Nebula shook her head and scrambled away from the kick that was aimed at her. Proxima gave her a look of disgust then took the lead out of the room. The girls exchanged uneasy looks then followed her into the throne room, promptly taking on their submissive stances.

“Gamora, Nebula,” Thanos scowled at the girls from his throne. “I do hope today proves to be more fulfilling than yesterday’s blunder.” He looked impressed when neither one answered him. “It appears as though you took your studies seriously despite having missed several meals since yesterday.”

As if on cue, Nebula’s stomach rumbled. The child clenched her jaw and bit down hard on her lips to keep the sound from drawing attention to herself.

“Now have you made a decision on how our evening will be ending?” He chose not to comment when the girls shifted to exchange uneasy glances with each other.

“Yes Sir,” Nebula nodded. Neither girl looked happy knowing the words that would follow after.

“We plan to fight,” Gamora whispered, repeating herself in a louder tone when Nebula elbowed her in the side.

“Wonderful,” The Titan smirked. “Corvus, I presume you have their weapons at the ready?”

“Of course, Master,” Corvus nodded and opened his jacket, pulling the three blades from an inner pocket. He offered them to the two then took a step in between them. “On my count girls.”

Gamora and Nebula took on their positions, each eyeing the other with a sorrowful expression before they forced the look away and took on one that was far more unreadable.

“Three, two,” He gave a pause to see if either girl moved early, knowing Proxima was keeping an eye out for any errors. “One.”

The two lunged for each other, knives clinking together as they took on their first round of combat against a living being. They were a blur of blue and green, striving to get an upper hand in the uneventful game of failing to hit the other. Nebula was the first to spot an opening for an attack, swiping left and sending Gamora’s knife clattering to the ground. Having disarmed her weapon left an opening to wound her but Nebula didn’t, merely kicking the dual-ended blade somewhere behind her.

Gamora gave a groan of annoyance then shifted to a more defensive stance, her guard up while she kept watch over Nebula’s attack order. She pressed forward, getting her opponent to move back, then did a barrel roll. A few strides were needed to retrieve her weapon.

The girls carried on with the echoing sounds of knife against knife, Gamora turned on Nebula when the blue girl swung one of her blades higher than necessary. There was a loud gasp then Gamora had hold of it. She tilted her head to the side as if to ask what sort of move that was and wrestled it out of Nebula’s hand.

Nebula was not about to be bested. She advanced on her sister, not expecting the younger girl to knock her to the ground in the process. Gamora straddled over Nebula, effectively pinning her beneath her. She brought her own blade to Nebula’s neck and took the other blade from her hand, silently praying that Thanos would say the battle could end. He didn’t say a word so the girls stared blankly at each other. Their eyes communicated their next plan of action while the rest of their facial expressions kept a determined look.

Nebula growled and flipped so she was on top of Gamora. Their knives were abandoned at their sides as the two opted for the more childish options of punching, kicking, and hair-pulling. Thanos watched with a slightly bemused expression. Proxima and Corvus merely looked concerned at how quickly the tactics they were drilling into the girls’ heads were forgotten.

The two continued, rolling across the throne room’s floor until Gamora got hold of Nebula’s hand. The older girl had been aiming to yank her hair out. She opted for biting down on the blue girl’s hand.

“That’s not fair,” Nebula cried out. Gamora took her shock as an opening to pin her down and wrap her hands around her neck. “They never said anything about biting.”

“I do believe I just won, sis,” Gamora smirked and held her down, counting to seven in her head.

“Unconventional tactics have given Gamora the winning title of this fight,” Thanos did not look at either girl, eyes narrowing at Proxima instead. “I believe this is a sign you should be playing with their strengths instead of trying to exhaust them by exploiting their weaknesses. They abandoned their blades the first chance they got.”

No one said anything after that. Gamora removed herself from Nebula and gave her an apologetic look, teeth digging into her lower lip when Nebula staggered to her feet.

“The winner will dine with me this evening,” Thanos left his throne to stand behind Gamora. He glared down at Nebula and rested his hand on Gamora’s head. “You will not be eating or sleeping until after you beat the practice bot. Proxima will program it while Corvus goes over every mistake you made. You will be drilled until he no longer considers them as errors.” He paused and looked down at Gamora. “Come, daughter. I will have the kitchen create a feast in your honor.”

Thanos did not look at Nebula while leaving. She kept her head down and bit her lip, feeling nervous now that it was just her and Corvus and Proxima. Her hands were behind her back, fingers nervously toying with the ribbon around her right wrist. She hadn’t enjoyed the day spent with Proxima. Knowing she now had to spend her night with two of her least favorite beings on the ship left her wanting to sob.

Silence was the only reasonable option she had. It was that or risking running her mouth and truly upsetting the adults. She could feel their eyes on her and was well aware of their whispers.

“You got cocky,” Corvus addressed her with a frown, the look growing when she didn’t look up at him. “You can look at me.” He added and shook his head, continuing when their eyes met. “We can get this done before sunrise if you are willing to cooperate. The bot, however…” He glared at his wife. “Let’s just say it will exploit every weakness up until you decided rolling on the ground like a child was better than being a warrior.”

Nebula pressed her tongue against her cheek and nodded. She was far too anxious for tossing in a sarcastic remark. Corvus’ usual tone of voice was replaced with something softer — as though he pitied her for being in the new situation. She would have preferred how he mocked her since that would have meant he didn’t view her differently.

He was surprisingly patient when it came to training and actually took time to make sure she got her arm and foot placements right. The toughest part proved to be fixing her knife swings. She was exhausted by the time it was Proxima’s turn to take over.

“Could I please get something to drink?” She grimaced. The expression grew when the adults shook their heads.

“You heard our Master,” Proxima sneered. “No necessities until we are through with you. The bot is ready for you now. Do us all a favor and defeat it on your first shot.”

The first three attempts at fighting backfired and left Nebula panting in an attempt to regain control of her breathing.

“You can do better than that, girl,” Proxima scowled. Nebula could not stop the angry tears that sprung from her eyes. She was tired, hungry, and far more bruised than she had ever been before in her life. The purple marks were all over her arms.

“I know,” The words came out in a sob, the young girl bit her lip to keep from hiccoughing.

“Should we allow her to take a break?” Corvus cast at a sideways glance at his wife. Thanos would not approve if he heard the child broke down. The outburst was appropriate though since they were approaching the point where she was risking starting the next morning off with a useless amount of sleep before being forced to join Gamora in training.

“I don’t want one,” Nebula sniffled before Proxima got the chance to say something. “I need one more chance.”

“Fine,” Proxima shrugged. Neither of the adults expected that stubborn of an answer so they were a little impressed with her. “This is the last chance you have before you cut into being guaranteed a decent amount of rest before training in the morning.”

Nebula merely nodded and got back to her feet, the two daggers tightly grasped in her hands. She ended the attack with somehow decapitating the robot, gaping when the head dropped to the ground.

“Well done,” Proxima tilted her head, curiously eyeing the girl. “Master will be pleased to hear about this result.”

“It was an accident,” Nebula mumbled. She didn’t want them to expect her to do it on a living creature.

“And that is something Master does not need to know,” The woman snapped and gripped Nebula’s shoulder. She snickered when the young girl could not shake out of her grasp.

“He cares more about successes than failures. Referring to your work as the result of an accident will only lead to his calling you worthless. You have come this far. Do not give him a reason to question why he saved your life.”

Nebula shuddered and nodded, feeling ready to burst into tears now that she stopped moving.

“Proxima let her go to bed,” Corvus sighed. “She needs to be well-rested for the morning. I refuse to work with her if our keeping her any longer results in her sniveling like an infant.”

Eight months followed after the first time Gamora beat Nebula. Their lives were full of intense training and harsh punishments that shaped the girls into capable warriors that were suitable for joining the adults on the field. They were fitted with armor and given strict instructions to do as they were told and to stay out of the way for a mission Ebony Maw was leading.

Gamora was overjoyed to be allowed off the ship. Nebula was merely happy to have a task Gamora couldn’t beat her at. Their having to work together meant Thanos couldn’t bring her to the brink of tears by reminding her how worthless her failures made her to him.

The task was simple. They were entrusted with smooth-talking a councilman of a small planet Thanos was interested in handing everything over smoothly. Ebony Maw’s forces would be nearby if a struggle ensued. It was believed that the youths’ innocent looks would be enough to avoid a full skirmish.

Things had gone well until the man foolishly put his hand on Gamora. Nebula was the first to snap. She lurched forward to shove the man and looked alarmed when he did not let go. Gamora gave a guttural snarl of “do not touch me” then tugged the gray man by the arm.

He was quickly flipped over, the two girls wincing at the crack that echoed when he landed on his back. Nebula kicked him in the side for good measure, looking alarmed when he did not cry out in pain. A slow clapping sound came from behind them. They turned on their heels to face the source.

“Well done girls,” Ebony Maw smirked. The children stood up straight, bowed their heads, and placed their arms behind their backs. They shook a little from thinking about the harm they caused.

“But he isn’t moving,” Nebula whispered and inched closer to Gamora.

“Precisely,” Ebony nodded and approached the gray man on the ground, bending down to remove his jacket and place it on himself. “I no longer need to have my men dispose of him since you did that for them. Consider yourselves dismissed so the real fun can begin. Our Master will find you once my mission is complete. You have five minutes to get to the ship. I would hurry unless you want to witness the slaughter.”

“No thank you, sir,” Gamora gasped. The two gave a curtsy then ran off. They doubted they could stomach witnessing others meet the same fate their original families had. Nebula and Gamora returned to the spacecraft mere seconds before the screaming began. They busied themselves in their bedroom and surrounded themselves with books, welcoming the distraction until their father’s henchman informed them Thanos was ready to see them. The books lay forgotten on their beds as they stood up and looked each other over.

“Your braid is undone,” Nebula murmured. “Do you want me to fix it?” Gamora gave her a small smile and nodded. Nebula stood behind her and braided her hair, lightly tugging on it once she tied it in place. “Perfect,” She sighed. “Now how does mine look?”

“Fix your fringe,” Gamora cocked her head to the side, giggling softly when Nebula made it worse. “No — Here,” She shook her head and moved Nebula’s fringe aside, trailing her fingers through it to untangle it. “Like that. Now we can go.”

The girls cautiously entered the throne room. Their faces paled upon discovering they were alone with Thanos. He sat in his throne and paid little interest in the girls until they were kneeling on the top step that led to where he perched. Their heads were level with his boots.

“I hate this place,” Gamora said through gritted teeth. Nebula cast a look of concern at her, growing visibly shocked when Thanos chuckled.

“I know little one,” He smirked. “But you don’t need to visit here as often after today.”

Nebula and Gamora gasped and looked up at their father. Their eyes were wide, silently questioning what he meant.

“An acquaintance of mine has agreed to take you under his wing for a two-year-long training program. I will check in periodically so that does not mean either of you are free of my rules and repercussions.” He narrowed his eyes at Nebula and continued when she looked away from him. “You will be working under Ronan the Accuser. He will aid in training you to become the fiercest women in the galaxy.”

Nebula bit her lip to keep from talking. She had a scar from the last time he kicked her for speaking out of turn.

“I expect you to be on your best behavior,” The titan frowned. “Any failures will embarrass me and will result in far more serious punishments than either of you have received. Am I understood?”

“Yes father,” Gamora nodded then elbowed Nebula when she didn’t say anything.

“Of course, dad,” Nebula gave a sarcastic sigh and locked eyes with him, glaring slightly.

“Do not test my patience,” He scowled. “Now go eat. We leave in the morning.”

Training under Ronan made the year and a half spent under Proxima and Corvus’ command seem like a dream. They were constantly training and were given limited hours of shuteye. The most comfort they had came from consoling each other. They often shared a bed and hummed themselves to sleep. Gamora was the only being that seemed to care about Nebula so she kept close to her.

Their relationship was growing stressed by the number of times they were pitted against each other. Nebula still took comfort in the way Gamora was able to soothe her and stop her from crying each night.

Nearly two years passed with few incidents past Gamora’s constant winning streak and Nebula growing bitter since the punishments grew more severe each time. Each loss meant more training and Ronan and Thanos seemed to take pleasure in seeing just how much they could get away with before she seemed ready to snap at them. There was one training in particular that proved Nebula and Gamora were in over their heads.

Ronan found a planet and designed it to explore every strength and weakness the girls showed. They were left alone on it and each given their weapons of choice along with the knowledge that they would not be leaving until one beat the other.

An hour passed of the girls recklessly targeting each other. Nebula earned a rush of pride from having finally broken the stupid finger Gamora always balanced her blade on and Gamora used that as an excuse to be unforgiving when it came to her next route of attack. They were dueling on the highest cliff the planet provided and were evenly matched in the beginning. Grunts of frustration and annoyed screams filled the air. They were breathless as they struggled to one-up the other.

Gamora found her moment and delivered a hard kick to Nebula’s stomach. She sent her tumbling down the side of a cliff. Her breath caught in the back of her throat when a thud was the only noise that followed. There were no screams or grunts of pain. No cursing or threats of doing something worse to her. It was enough to numb Gamora to a point of timidly approaching the side of the cliff. The pain in her index finger was forgotten when she caught a glimpse of her sister.

Nebula lay on the ground a good amount of space from the bottom of the cliff. She landed on a rock that dug into her spine and left her body contorted in an unnatural way. Her face was turning purple from lack of air.

“Quit playing,” Gamora whimpered when Nebula did not get up. She moved closer and screamed when she spotted the blood trickling out of her head.

“Ronan,” Her voice came out in a mix between a scream and a sob. “We need the healer or—” She took a steadying breath. “Someone quick.”

She tried to hold back tears since her father and Ronan agreed empathy was a weakness that could easily be exploited. It was hard to do so when no one came at first.

Thanos had lied when he said he would be giving Nebula an injection of the healing gene that was supposed to prevent incidents like this from occurring. Nebula was meant to take a trial of it and the biotech would watch the results and adapt it to make the injection better for Gamora. He had not used that phrasing with her when first bringing it up. His failure to mention it again left Gamora assuming Nebula had taken it.

Thanos and Ronan appeared behind Gamora, both glaring over the scene in front of them before making their presence known. They made her jump by clearing their throats.

“Father,” She gulped when Thanos bent down to look Nebula over, catching the shallow beating of the girl’s heart.

“A shame,” Thanos whispered then stood up. “She is still alive. Gamora, you have proven your sister is due for a lesson only cybernetic enhancements can provide. It will be several hours before I allow you to see her again so I suggest you keep yourself busy.”

The young girl nodded, not needing to be told twice to get out of the area. She heard a sigh from behind her and paused, watching Ronan gingerly pick up Nebula from over her shoulder. The older girl was nearly purple, her black hair matted down from the blood oozing out of her scalp. She grimaced and picked up her pace, needing a long shower to rid herself of the idea of accidentally killing her sister.

Nebula felt dizzy when she awoke. Her vision was blurry and she could barely understand what was being said around her. She couldn’t recognize any of the voices and was aware that she was strapped down to a cot. Her fingers shifted in an attempt to tug the tube that was running into her wrist out.

The device beeped and something shoved her so she was firmly pushed back against the cot. Her neck didn’t touch the pillow beneath her, making her aware of the helmet strapped to her head.

“Master, she is awake,” A voice nervously announced. “Should I sedate her again?”

“Not this time,” Thanos’ voice made her whimper. “It is about time we let the waif know what damage she did to herself.”

He grew quiet after that, waiting for the child to become fully coherent. She tried closing her eyes but no peace could be found among the whirring machinery sounds that filled the room.

”Open your eyes, girl,” Nebula flinched when Thanos’ hand closed around her throat. She was too weak to push him off, her eyes wide open once he released her from his grasp. “You should be grateful I found you after Gamora abandoned you at the bottom of the cliff. You almost bled out from your injuries. The wire you tried ripping out is replenishing what you lost as well as enhancing your genetic coding. That way we avoid something as simple as breaking a rib going catastrophically the next time this happens.”

She merely nodded, inhaling sharply every now and then. Breathing hurt and she felt like she was going to be sick.

“We removed your ribs,” Thanos sneered, giving a moment for the child to comprehend what was said. He did not continue until she gained the nerve to look down at herself. There was an incision mark that went down her side. The skin was discolored and did not match her complexion.

“To save you,” He continued. “They have been replaced with low quality cybernetic material since it won’t grow as you age. I will consider replacing them with something of higher quality the day you prove I was not wrong in making the decision to allow you to live.”

“And my head?” Nebula’s words slurred when she spoke. She could barely keep track of what was being said.

“Blunt force trauma left your skull shattered and caused minor damage to your brain. We fixed that by removing the top of your skull and replacing it with cybernetics. Your brain needed to be rewired to prevent your body from rejecting it. I plan to go back in to add a few enhancements at a later date.”

“No,” The word made Nebula’s throat hurt. She hoped the whole thing was a dream — that she was merely passed out at the bottom of the cliff and this was some sort of unconscious nightmare.

”No?” Thanos smirked. “Little chit, I fear you don’t get a choice in any of this. I would start beating Gamora in combat if I were you. It is because of her that you are here.” He paused and carefully looked Nebula over. “Every loss will result in my taking away another piece of you and replacing it with cybernetics. Perhaps you will prove to be more of use to me as a cyborg than when you were simply a Luphomoid. Now, don’t you dare breathe a word of this to your sister. I will make sure it is the last thing you do.”

“You don’t have my permission,” Nebula whimpered. “I-I refuse to let you —“ Her thought was cut off by Thanos slamming his fist down by her head. Nebula paled and shook.

“You don’t get a say in any of this,” Thanos growled. “I may reconsider if you beat your sister in combat but the odds do not appear to be in your favor. Your options are accepting that I plan to continue working on you or death. I would carefully consider those.” Thanos paused to give Nebula a chance to speak up. He smirked when the child did not say anything.

“You have chosen well, little one.” Nebula shuddered at his choice in words. “I will give you a few days of rest for your compliance. Need I remind you that you aren’t to breathe a word about our conversation to your sister?” Nebula shook her head and bit down on her lower lip to keep it from quivering.

“Good girl,” Thanos purred and held up the IV chord that was attached to her forearm, slowly allowing a purple-colored liquid to drain into it while he spoke. “You may tell Gamora your skull shattered beyond repair and had to be replaced when she asks what happened to your hair. Now sleep well, little one.” Nebula barely registered what he said since the warmth from whatever was used to sedate her knocked her out.

Nebula drifted in and out of consciousness for several days. Her memory was full of brief flashes of light and the beeping of the machine that was keeping track of her vitals. She was moved back to the room she and Gamora shared at some point during her last night in the infirmary.

She awoke to a very loud gasp early that morning and winced in pain when she opened her eyes. Her head felt too heavy to hold up on her own, eyelids drooping until she took a moment to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. Shifting to sit up proved to be a bad idea since her chest pressed against the rough texture of the cybernetic material that replaced her ribs.

“Nebula,” She refused to look in the direction of Gamora’s voice. The wound from Thanos having claimed he found her abandoned and bleeding out on the cliffside was still too fresh.

“You — I-I…” Gamora wanted to apologize but Ronan and Thanos spent far too much time insisting that she and Nebula show no compassion or remorse. “How are you feeling?” The question came out weakly while she looked Nebula over.

Nebula’s long black hair was gone. Her head was bald minus a piece of dark blue metal that appeared to hold the top of her skull in place. She didn’t answer Gamora and closed her eyes. Gamora paled and chewed her lip.

“Your hair is … What did they do to you?” Nebula’s eyes flew open at that remark. She held her breath and forced her body to sit upright. Glaring at Gamora proved to be useless since she barely had the strength to pull an effective look off.

“My skull shattered from the impact of my fall,” She admitted through gritted teeth. “They saved my life and my brain by replacing it with cybernetic material. Did Ronan say when we are expected to fight each other again?”

“No,” Gamora shook her head. “I have training today. I assume you will be expected there now that you are awake.”

“Wonderful,” Nebula bit out and scowled at her sister. A wince escaped when she got off her bed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to assess the damage that was done to me.” She didn’t throw another look in Gamora’s direction and wandered into the bathroom. Nebula almost cried when she saw her reflection for the first time since the accident.

Her coloring was off and she had no hair. The raven and azure streaks that coated her head were the features she prided most in. Their absence left her stomach feeling incredibly unsettled. She lifted her shirt up over her head then gave a muffled sob at what she saw. It looked as though the healer hadn’t tried to stitch her stomach up properly. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and allowed tears to fall, mourning what she lost.

“Maybe I am as worthless as he says,” She mumbled to herself and slipped her shirt back on. Nebula could only hope Thanos would not make a ginormous production about having saved her. There was no way she could possibly thank him for having shattered the little self-esteem she had left.


	3. So Little Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warnings: Abuse/neglect, reference to a forced sexual encounter of a teen turned consensual/IDK how to explain that one, isolation

“Could I please get a wig, dad?” The words came out with confidence neither Nebula or Thanos expected. Nebula stood proud despite her battered appearance, lavender eyes focused on her father as a scowl graced her lips.

Thanos scowled down at the girl from his throne. She should have been trembling from his expression since she already had one strike against her.

Having lost a fight against Gamora left Nebula with missing front teeth and a bloodied lip. She almost beat her this time around but the younger girl always found a way to come out on top. Nebula’s main pride in regards to fighting her sister was having broken Gamora’s finger in a way that made it impossible for her to balance her dagger on it.

The healer managed to miss it since Nebula’s being pushed off the cliff was a more pressing matter. It was the only outcome of her near-death experience that she truly appreciated. Everything else translated into a month and a half of being in pain and isolating herself from everyone.

Thanos raised an eyebrow at Nebula. It was a bit of a shock that the girl said anything at all. He hadn’t heard a word out of her in the weeks that followed since he admitted his plan of using cybernetics to turn her into Gamora’s equal.

“You have the audacity to ask me after today’s failure?” He quirked an eyebrow. Nebula scowled and pressed her tongue against her cheek.

“If it means no more Proxima calling me boy,” She glowered at him. “Yes, I do have the audacity.”

“No,” Thanos shrugged. “You haven’t earned one. Failure after failure. You should be grateful I keep you alive after each poor performance.”

Nebula dug her teeth into her lower lip. She stood tall and tried to keep her emotions under control. Yelling at him would only ever make things worse. She knew that but couldn’t simply accept no as an answer.

“It hasn’t grown back,” She admitted through gritted teeth. “And Proxima insists on calling me boy instead of using my name. Surely you can at least tell her to lay off?” Thanos didn’t say anything, merely scowling at her for several seconds.

“Not until you earn it,” He stood from his throne and towered over her, smirking when she stumbled away from him. “Now come. We have a meeting in the infirmary. It is time to check that your cybernetics have healed properly.”

The meeting involved nearly four hours of Nebula screaming in pain. Thanos and the biotech put her under the knife to clean up the stitches that surrounded her abdomen. They didn’t bother with sedating the child since Thanos claimed they were doing her a favor by cleaning the stitches up and making sure the wounds were not infected.

Nebula screamed the entire time. Her only moment of silence occurred when Thanos forced a bloodied rag into her mouth to muffle her cries. They placed a layer of synthetic material over the incision site and burned it to Nebula’s skin in an attempt to mask just how poorly done the first round of stitches were.

She arrived back in the room she and Gamora shared and forced herself to take a shower, not acknowledging her sister once she exited with a towel wrapped around her torso. Nebula clenched her jaw to keep from crying. Her lip was still cracked open from where Gamora had punched her earlier that day. The worst part of the infirmary was Thanos’ having asked the biotech to do a thorough sweep of her mouth to make sure it was only baby teeth that got knocked out. His finger in her mouth made it feel as though her jaw was going to dislocate. 

Thanos made a point to call Nebula careless for the baby teeth having been knocked out. He went out of his way to make her feel bad for having nearly caused permanent damage to herself. She didn’t want to know what would happen the day Gamora punched out her adult ones.

Nebula changed into her pajama bottoms, not trusting the work done to her torso to touch the material of a shirt. She didn’t ditch the towel until she was laying in bed with her back toward Gamora, the comforter drawn up to her chin. A few sniffles escaped and she attempted to hum to herself, the sound lost to the sob that left when doing so made her throat hurt.

Her tears were always saved for her pillow. Ronan spent too much time claiming emotions were a weakness. It was frowned upon for her to display anything but the rage that escaped when it came to training with Gamora. Her sister was the only one to see the truly weak side of her. 

The adults enjoyed testing her limits. They praised her when she went long periods without an emotional outburst and went out of their way to push her toward her breaking point. Everything was always worse if a training session or punishment resulted in tears or her lashing out at any of them. Her sarcasm toward Thanos from before the infirmary visit must have been why he hadn’t opted for sedating her.

Gamora was the only one who understood that Nebula couldn’t simply bottle her emotions up. She usually allowed her to cry and comforted her with little question, only speaking when things reached the risk of the older girl drawing attention to their room.

A few sobs escaped when Nebula felt the bed shift. Gamora joined her without a word. It was second nature for the two to share a bed during the nights after things were particularly trying for them.

Gamora was oddly quiet. She was usually quick to reprimand her for being too loud. Instead, the younger girl was staring at the charred skin on her sister’s side.

She knew Nebula needed a few days in the infirmary to recover from having been pushed off the cliff. Thanos, Ronan, and Nebula hadn’t gone into detail about the work that was done on her. Gamora could only be thankful she hadn’t killed Nebula and never brought it up since she didn’t want to be the one to start the conversation.

The silver thread that separated synthetic skin from flesh was enough to validate the month where Nebula barely spoke to her. Gamora bit her lip to shield herself from the emotions that were itching to escape. She began to hum softly, the tune shaking when she shifted the comforter to slip an arm around Nebula’s middle.

Nebula flinched then leaned into Gamora. Her shoulders shook when her back pressed into her sister. She felt far more vulnerable than usual. Gamora traced her fingers along Nebula’s flesh, lightly ghosting over the thin thread over her ribs. She was overly aware of the soft hum that came from inside Nebula. 

“Ronan said you almost died,” Gamora whispered and pressed her chin to Nebula’s shoulder. The girl shuddered in response. “I- I didn’t —“

“Don’t say anything else,” Nebula rasped and squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s nothing.” She grit her teeth and glanced up at Gamora. “Can you sing?”

Gamora held Nebula close and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. She gave a shaky nod then began to sing softly, continuing until after she was certain her sister was asleep. Silent tears fell from her eyes once she stopped singing. She kept quiet and pressed her forehead to Nebula’s shoulder, eventually dozing off.

Several years passed and proved that there would be no difference in the way Thanos raised Nebula and Gamora. Nebula grew used to being the scapegoat, dragged off to the cutting board each time Gamora outdid her. She blamed the younger girl for her condition but wasn’t cruel enough to wish the same fate upon her. That alone was what kept her from truly trying to beat Gamora.

They were introduced to a Kree named Korath one week. He appeared to be older than Nebula and had a way of carrying himself that left the sisters incredibly intrigued by him. The girls briefly saw him throughout their lives with Thanos. It was believed that Ronan had a different plan for him than what he was working on with them.

He ended up joining them for training. The biggest annoyance for Nebula came from Thanos’ and Ronan’s openly praising him and Gamora but never saying anything to her. She didn’t allow herself to get close to him but the man still managed to find a way to get under her skin.

His only saving grace was the way he challenged Nebula when it came to fighting each other.  
[Should a page break go here?]

Gamora and Nebula’s innocence was disappearing with each passing week. They had grown older, bodies maturing to a point where their enemies were beginning to see them as an object to lust for instead of children that didn’t know how much power they wielded.

There was a mission spent under Ronan’s orders that proved to be eye opening. At eighteen, Nebula was able to get an upper hand on how much had changed while Gamora was left perplexed and frozen by a stranger’s impulsiveness.

The two killed their way through the ranks of a colony that did not appreciate the idea of claiming Thanos as an ally. They were face to face with the commander and he had little interest in politely conversing with the teen assassins.

Nebula could tell there was something off about the man. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it past knowing she did not like the way he ogled her sister. Gamora was oblivious to his looks, only taking note when she gave a spiteful reaction to a lewd comment followed by his gaping at her.

Nebula stepped forward to place herself between Gamora and the man. Her approach was interrupted by his pushing Gamora into the wall behind them, body flush against hers.

“You don’t scare me,” The man exhaled and pressed his hips against Gamora’s, effectively pinning her in her place. The two girls stood frozen, completely thrown off by the new tactic.

“Blue girl,” He didn’t look to Nebula, leaning down to press his nose against Gamora’s neck and inhaling deeply before he continued. “You may tell Ronan I will consider his offer but will not be discussing the matter until I get a taste of this one.”

“I beg your pardon,” Nebula scowled and took a step closer to him, baring her teeth when she continued. “I will not be telling Ronan a thing unless I have my sister at my side.” Her eyes flashed with anger, she didn’t dare lay a finger on him since he was stronger than the other men they destroyed.

“If you plan to sample either of us, you would be best off in taking an interest in me,” She scowled and stepped forward to shove him away from Gamora. “She is young enough that the Nova Corps would have you behind bars before you so much as laid a finger on her again.” Gamora made a sound of disgust and stepped away from him, shifting so she was hidden behind her sister. It took too long for her to have caught on about what was being discussed but that didn’t matter now that she was aware of what he and Nebula were alluding to.

“A pity,” Nebula addressed Gamora. “I quite liked that uniform on you. We will have to burn it once this cretin makes its decision about how we will be proceeding.” She glanced down at him. “Know I shan’t be touching you until my supervisor assesses the situation.”

She was stalling at this point, unwilling to give her innocence up to an imbecile that was thinking with his dick instead of his head. They didn’t trust leaving him alone with one of them so assuming Ronan would check in if they didn’t return would have to suffice. Nebula turned her weapons on the man and warned him not to speak. She only stepped down when one of Ronan’s lieutenants came in, left chuckling when Gamora gave a rushed update on how things were going.

Ronan volunteered Nebula as a way of negotiating, having agreed that using the younger of the two girls was not in anyone’s best interest. Nebula was the expendable one of the two.

“I told him five minutes,” Ronan assured Nebula. He raised an eyebrow when she looked disgusted. “I expect you to have that look wiped away once we go to follow through on this transaction. The only time you will be allowed the option of going in for the kill will come about if he expects more of you than what we bargained with.”

She was left alone in the room after that, the door of the office opening to reveal the smug-looking commander. He didn’t bother speaking to her and opted to shove his tongue down her throat instead.

Nebula didn’t have time to think, left breathless from the man’s assault on her lips. His hands roamed over her body. She shuddered against him when he slipped his hands beneath her shirt.

She managed to disconnect from what was going on, willingly thinking of anything besides the man that was intent on leaving her lips swollen and assaulting her chest. The only bit of interest he got out of her was when he was finally through with trying to suffocate her with his tongue.

“Good enough,” The man breathed against her lips and trailed his fingers along her side. Nebula didn’t dare look at him. She felt like she was going to be sick from the experience. He still had a hand beneath her breast, toying with the flesh there while he caught his breath. She barely recognized the alarm from the timer that had been set, shoving him away from her with a scowl.

She had her shirt repositioned over herself in seconds flat, tongue pressed against her cheek once Ronan re-entered the room.

“Well done, Nebula,” He chuckled, looking her over for a moment before turning his attention on the man they were bargaining with. “Thanos will be pleased to hear you are the reason we were able to gain this ally with minimal bloodshed.”

“Thank you, sir,” She forced herself to make eye contact with him and curtsied. “May I be excused now?”

Nebula was out of the room before Ronan even fully said the word yes. She was truly thankful that the spacecraft was nearby since it meant a quick escape and an even quicker trip to the bathroom to get rid of the taste in her mouth.

She didn’t say anything once settled back into the quarters she and Gamora shared. Her clothes from the day lay shredded on the floor, Nebula having opted to slip into something more comfortable the first chance she got. She felt tainted from the morning’s exchange. It was better her than Gamora though.

Unfortunately for Nebula, her decision in having allowed the man to shove his tongue down her throat did not earn her any favors. Instead, Thanos took it as a sign that the young woman was ready to fully use herself as a weapon. That turned into Thanos pulling her from Ronan’s teachings and insisting that she spend more time with Korath since the Kree was proving to be the deviant one of the three children he raised.

He claimed that Korath would teach her to be more appealing to the next ally that needed to be seduced. She and Korath had no choice in the situation. Thanos was sick enough to insist that he and Ronan watch Nebula give up her innocence to the Kree.

They were forced into meeting twice a week after that. Gamora did her best to comfort Nebula after each time, helping her bathe as one of the many attempts at getting rid of the memories. Korath was polite enough to consider Nebula’s boundaries and respected her saying no. Thanos, however, appeared to be under the impression that the two were meeting frequently.

She had no feelings for Korath and he admitted that feeling was mutual. They merely used each encounter as an excuse to get rid of pent up frustration and anger toward their living predicaments.

Gamora had a simpler chance at romance. She stuck to her studies and eagerly took Ronan’s critiques to heart. There was one day where she and Nebula were paired with one of the lieutenants for training. She could easily refer to that as the best day out of the year.

He had flirted with her and she happily flirted back. They began sneaking around to see one another and she was doing a fairly good job at keeping that under wraps. Nebula was the only one that knew about the secret, having easily earned the information when she called Gamora out on being far too happy one day.

Nebula easily kept the secret since the two having relationships was something Thanos and Ronan forbid. It had been accepted that Korath was “training” Nebula. Gamora was still considered pure and untainted. The sisters were beginning to believe Gamora was being saved for someone and didn’t think too far into it past agreeing that the secret fling needed to remain under wraps.

A rather trying practice resulted in Nebula turning to head back to the room she and Gamora shared, ready to attack when her sister grabbed hold of her arm. She nearly slapped her but lowered her hand upon discovering it was just Gamora.

The two had a rapid discussion, the whispers barely loud enough for either to understand what was being said. It ended with Gamora hugging Nebula and murmuring a thank you before she departed in the opposite direction. Nebula gulped and made her way to the bedroom, resting on her bed with a book.

The door opened with a loud bang minutes after Nebula got comfortable, making her jump into a defensive position. Her batons were drawn and electricity sparked at the ends. The quick defensiveness merely earned a chuckle from the intruder. She could recognize the sound from anywhere and quickly sheathed her batons, placing them down on her bed to show she was unarmed before she placed her hands behind her back and took on a submissive stance.

“Father,” She exhaled and pressed her tongue against her cheek. He never came looking for her personally so she doubted this was anything to do with her in the first place.

“Nebula,” He scowled and looked around the bedroom. Gamora was nowhere to be found. “Where is your sister?”

“Studying, sir,” Nebula answered. The lie flowed smoothly through her lips. She locked eyes with him for good measure. “I found a weakness while training this morning. She figured it best to get rid of it before I got the chance to exploit it in front of you.”

“Fair enough,” Thanos sighed then inched closer to Nebula. She stood her ground and maintained eye contact, unflinching while Thanos looked her over. “I think it is time to test what last week’s defeat earned you.”

Her ears went red at that and she scoffed, the memory of the defeat still fresh on her mind. She and Gamora went at each other for nearly two hours before Thanos appeared to lose interest in them. The young women were evenly matched to a point where their battles were turning into struggles for power, the two constantly at each other’s throats and hoping to find a point of weakness. Gamora was always unrelenting while Nebula simply didn’t have the patience to fight until Thanos decided they weren’t good enough.

As much as she blamed her sister for the predicament of losing pieces of herself to machinery, she couldn’t stomach the idea of Gamora being forced to go through the same thing. The fight ended with Gamora’s fingers around her throat. Nebula willed herself to pass out and woke up hours later in the infirmary. There was a patch over her right eye that didn’t get removed until days later. Thanos made it clear she wasn’t to tamper with the appendage. He gave a sadistic smile when he admitted they pulled her eye from her skull to enhance it.

“Of course, daddy,” She heaved a sarcastic sigh and took a step away from Thanos. Nerves were threatening to come into play but she did her best to seem confident. Slipping into sarcasm and backhanded compliments had become the easiest ways to hide her feelings. “I would love to know what you have in store for me.”

“It will be in you and your sister’s best interest to have told the truth,” The Titan sneered, the warning received as Nebula stood up straighter and narrowed her eyes at him.

“I know better than to lie to you,” She scowled. “You made that lesson clear early on in having claimed me as your own.” Thanos merely nodded then leaned down to get at eye level with Nebula.

“Then I presume you don’t mind my double-checking,” He stated and dropped to a knee. Nebula stood rooted to the spot. Her gaze hardened and her nostrils flared. She didn’t dare answer for the sake of not needing to be caught in a lie when Thanos was as close to her as he was. “I may have taught you how to lie, Nebula,” He sighed. “But I knew better than to trust you wouldn’t use it against me. Playback memory.”

Nebula flinched, the vision in her right eye growing clouded over. She went to cover her eye with her hand and quickly found her arms pinned to her sides. Thanos’ grip tightened when a conversation between Nebula and Gamora projected from the nineteen-year-old’s eye.

“Not a word out of you,” Thanos hissed out and dug his fingers into her arms hard enough to make it feel like the bones were going to shatter.

“You’re not following me?” Nebula’s voice was soft in the memory.

“No,” Gamora’s expression lit up. “Trey and I found a spot so I might need you to cover for me. He kissed me last time.”

The moment of weakness that followed made Nebula wince, grateful that the projection only showed Gamora’s end of things. Thanos would have witnessed her smile at how hopeful her sister seemed. Now the moment was ruined by the knot that formed in her stomach.

“Thanos won’t be happy if he discovers you are missing,” The projection’s voice came out in a whisper. “But I’ll cover for you. Just know I expect you to yield the next time we face each other.”

The memory faded as Gamora went to hug her and Nebula paled. Her stomach lurched when the vision in her right eye slowly came back. Thanos’ grip on her arms hadn’t slackened. The Titan’s expression was unreadable.

“Know not to lie to me yet you still thought you could get away with it,” He squeezed Nebula harder. Having installed the healing mechanism in her and Gamora left him knowing just how much pressure was necessary for harming them. He smirked when she winced.

“I’m thinking two weeks of no food and a few days in the isolation chamber are in order for you,” He mused. Nebula didn’t dare answer him. “I will entrust Korath with making sure your sister doesn’t smuggle you anything. If he decides using you to satisfy his needs is a part of your punishment, so be it. You won’t complain and he can do as he wishes.” Thanos paused to let the words sink in.

“The healer already made sure you needn’t worry about procreation. Sterilization was one of the first gifts he gave you.” He shoved Nebula away from him then grabbed her by the neck, lifting the unmoving teen up so her feet were off the ground.

“As for your sister… She will be pleased to hear you are the reason she is entrusted with killing Ronan’s right-hand man. You will each suffer dearly if Trey’s life isn’t ended by the end of the week. The orders will be coming from me and you will not be of assistance to her. Perhaps that will get it through your heads that you have no say in how your lives will be spent. You belong to me and I will be making those decisions for you.”

He slackened his grip around Nebula’s neck when her coloring went from blue to a shade of purple, deliberately dropping her to the ground. She curled into herself and glared up at him while she caught her breath.

“Now where is your sister?” Thanos growled. He kicked her in the side when he didn’t get an immediate answer. Tears sprung from her eyes when his boot came into contact with the cybernetics beneath her skin. “You will answer me or it will turn into seven days locked in darkness.”

Nebula clenched her jaw and shook her head, crawling backward to avoid Thanos. It was no use though since the Titan lurched forward and grabbed her by the neck.

“So be it then,” He growled and dragged Nebula out of the room, his hand firmly planted over her mouth to keep her from screaming. “Your time here ends when your sister’s mission is complete. Korath will be checking in on you each day.”

Nebula bit down on Thanos’ hand once he stopped moving, crying out when doing so resulted in his dislocating her jaw with little effort. He flung her against the wall of the isolation chamber then chained her arms up over her head. Nebula was forced to stand on her toes when Thanos pulled the chains tight.

“Farewell my daughter,” He chuckled. “And goodnight.” The door slammed shut in her face then the room plummeted into darkness. Nebula was left with nothing besides her thoughts and the suffocating feeling from the space that felt barely big enough to contain her.

The isolation chamber was the worst of Thanos’ punishments. No food, no drink, no contact with anyone outside of a guard occasionally checking in to make sure the prisoner was still breathing, and the promise of a longer stay if tears and begging to be let out were involved. Nebula learned the last part of the punishment the hard way, having been stuck in the chamber for nearly a week the first time the option was forced upon her.

She wouldn’t cry — she was stubborn enough to make sure of that. It merely came down to keeping control of her head while stuck in darkness. She hated having no one else with her over anything else. The first couple of hours went by with no issue, the next several spent humming and quoting bits of literature out loud as a way of keeping entertained. There was no way of knowing exactly how much time passed but the most terrifying part was always when her thoughts drifted back to Thanos and the hardships he forced upon her.

There were visions of her family, memories of chasing her brothers around back home, and the scent of her mother’s perfume. They were always ruined by the thought of gunfire, her voice hoarse from crying out. Things shifted to Thanos’ cruel ways. Days spent without food, getting yelled at for getting too close to Gamora, the pain from the cybernetic implants getting infected. She passed out sometime between a memory of playing with her father and his face morphing into Thanos’ and never going back to normal.

Blacking out had become the best option for Nebula during her isolation. Sleep was never a good coping mechanism but it was that or losing her sanity. The latter option was the most unwanted of the two. She awoke sometime later to the sound of the door clicking open. Someone slipped inside. She held her breath, searching for some sort of hint to aid in recognizing who it was.

Nebula kept her eyes shut. She was vulnerable enough as it was with her hands chained up over her head. Her calves were burning from being forced on her toes.

“So she lives,” Korath purred, looking rather smug when Nebula opened her eyes. She could barely see his face despite knowing he was far too close to her for her liking.

“Tell her not to do it,” Nebula exhaled. “Assuming Thanos has told her to kill.” Her statement merely earned a raised eyebrow, the Kree’s breath warm against her cheek.

“I’ve strict instructions to keep you and her unaware of how the other is doing,” He chuckled. “And I intend to keep it that way since I am the only one on Master’s good side.”

“Then leave,” Nebula hissed out. “You can tell Thanos this isn’t working since I am still coherent.”

“Oh darling,” Korath pressed his lips to Nebula’s jaw, teeth pressing into her flesh. “He won’t give a damn right now. You have barely passed the 48-hour mark.” He was gone after that, his disappearance leaving her incredibly concerned since she hadn’t noticed his departure.

A need for food hit on the fifth day, her stomach gurgling loudly in protest at the lack of food her arms were sore from trying to free them from the shackles. She hated the role of damsel in distress. There was nothing left to do but grow irritable and anxious from the time spent alone. The hallucinations kicked in on day six. They had started almost two days in but the tiny flickers of light were dismissed as her being tired. Day six marked the hallucination of Gamora at age five.

It was impossible to dismiss the child with the large braids and familiar smile. The two conversed and Nebula began to feel normal. She found being with Gamora calming, a slight smile creasing over her lips.

The worst part of it was when Gamora began bleeding out of nowhere. The youngster dropped to the ground and began to cry. Nebula heard screaming the moment the child stopped moving.

It took light flooding the chamber and someone shaking her for Nebula to become aware that the screams belonged to her.

“Nebula,” Thanos’ voice boomed over her cries. The teen screamed louder, her panic made clear when her arms were released from the shackles. Nebula dropped to the ground and curled into herself. Her body shook uncontrollably.

“I demand that you stop this at once,” The Titan growled and brought his boot awfully close to Nebula’s face. She bit her lip to stop from crying, form shaking a little less.

“Good girl,” He purred. “The task has been completed. You are expected to eat breakfast then join your sister for today’s mission.”

Nebula slowly got to her feet. She felt incredibly disoriented from the days spent alone. Speaking was something she was incapable of doing. Everything hurt and the room was spinning. She had to grab hold of Thanos’ arm to keep from dropping back down.

“Yes, Master,” She exhaled then passed out. Her crumpled form settled at Thanos’ feet.

The healer had to set an IV up to pump fluids into Nebula. Ten days of isolation did little for her health. She could not stomach food and was incredibly skittish. Her health was poor enough to make Thanos postpone the girls’ mission. The healer took notes on everything. The record was dated with the first day of Nebula’s imprisonment. It had everything from brief encounters with Korath to hallucinated conversations with Gamora.

Thanos waited until Nebula was less skittish before introducing the next mission. It took four days for her to make some progress toward recovering. That was good enough for Thanos. He allowed Nebula to return to her living quarters to get reacquainted with Gamora and rest before announcing the mission.

Nebula earned a hug from her sister the moment she set foot in their bedroom. The young women each carried a sense of sorrow, made notable by the silence between them. Gamora used the brief time they had alone to hold Nebula close and kiss her forehead.

“I’m sorry,” Gamora exhaled. She was shocked to be greeted by Nebula’s hand grasping her chin.

“No,” Nebula exhaled then firmly pressed her lips over Gamora’s, timidly pressing her lips over hers before pulling away and leaving her forehead pressed against hers.

“We can’t afford to be sorry,” Nebula whispered and let her eyes meet Gamora’s, looking away when Gamora replied with a peck on the lips. “We don’t want him to win.”

The two jumped away from each other when there was a knock on the door. They took several steps back and looked slightly relieved to see Korath.

“Master has decided your blunders mean you will be working for me now,” Korath hissed out. “I have located the orb. He has decided you must work together to retrieve it. We arrive at Praxius at dawn.”


End file.
